Federal Way Public Schools was among the organizations to receive the Zero+ Champions of Sustainability award on October 11. The awards, presented at Lumen Field, recognize entities for their work in advancing sustainability, reducing carbon emissions, and strengthening community resiliency.
McKinstry and Lumen Field partnered to present this recognition, which marks the second round of 2026 Zero+ Champions awards. The program aims to celebrate organizations that have made carbon reduction a central part of their operations.
Dale Silha, senior vice president at McKinstry, noted that the honored organizations demonstrated "a steadfast commitment to treat carbon reduction as core to the mission." He pointed to diverse approaches to this commitment, citing examples such as a district retrofitting a dozen schools, another owning its own solar facilities, a university planning to phase out its steam plant, and a college system utilizing campus infrastructure for educational purposes, as illustrations of regional leadership moving from pledges to projects.
In addition to Federal Way Public Schools, Central Valley School District, Western Washington University, and Seattle Colleges were also recognized as Zero+ Champions of Sustainability.
While specific initiatives undertaken by Federal Way Public Schools were not detailed in the award announcement, other recipients provided examples of efforts commended. For instance, Western Washington University, another honoree, was praised by McKinstry for its goal of becoming Washington's first carbon-neutral university campus by 2035. Its Kaiser Borsari Hall, an all-electric engineering and computer science facility, is the state’s first publicly funded academic building to earn dual Zero Energy and Zero Carbon certification from the International Living Future Institute. This facility incorporates a mass-timber structure that sequesters 466 tons of CO2e, generates electricity onsite with solar panels, and employs efficient heating, cooling, and passive design strategies to enhance energy performance.
Western Washington University is also embarking on a multi-phase project to retire its gas-fired central steam plant, which heats much of its campus. This system is set to be replaced with a low-carbon, hot water system powered by heat pumps, rooftop solar, and a planned future connection to a Port of Bellingham district energy network. A comprehensive facility condition assessment guides this campus-wide decarbonization roadmap.
Christy Briggs, sustainability manager at Lumen Field, emphasized the collaborative nature of these achievements, stating that the partnership with McKinstry demonstrates "what’s possible when we work together toward a common goal." She added that celebrating these champions at Lumen Field serves as a reminder that "sustainability is a team effort" that extends far beyond the stadium and into local communities.
McKinstry and Lumen Field plan to recognize a final round of Zero+ Champions of Sustainability on November 8.
